SABER DESKSaber Desk · Quick answers
How do you get a SABER certificate in Saudi Arabia?
SABER isn't one certificate — it is SASO's platform, through which SASO-approved Certification Bodies issue two: the PCoC (per product model, valid 1 year, 500 SAR + VAT) and the SCoC (per shipment, valid 90 days, 350 SAR + VAT). Get the HS code, clear the prerequisites (CST for wireless, IECEE recognition via JEEM, energy-efficiency registration, RoHS file), register on SABER through a Saudi importer, pick a Certification Body, get the PCoC, then request an SCoC for each shipment before it sails.
What is a SABER certificate?
“SABER certificate” is the everyday name for the two certificates issued through SABER, SASO’s platform: the PCoC for each product model and the SCoC for each shipment. Both are issued by SASO-approved Certification Bodies working inside the platform; the SCoC is the one customs checks.
How to get a SABER certificate: the five steps, in the order the system enforces
- Get the full Saudi HS code and check whether the product is regulated. The code, not the product name, decides everything that follows.
- Clear the prerequisites first. For electronics this is the step people skip. Wireless devices need CST type approval (about 3–4 weeks). Many products need an IECEE recognition certificate via the JEEM portal before any PCoC. Energy-consuming products need an efficiency registration in SASO's SLS system. RoHS documentation (per IEC 63000) is assessed inside the PCoC.
- Register on SABER. Registration itself is officially immediate and free — the real wait is having a valid Commercial Registration and complete documents. Only a Saudi entity can hold an importer account; foreign exporters work through a Saudi importer or importer-of-record.
- Select your Certification Body inside SABER and get the PCoC issued — valid 1 year, platform fee 500 SAR + VAT. Official service time is 5–6 working days once compliant test reports exist; in practice CB review often makes it 10–14.
- Per shipment, request the SCoC — valid 90 days (extended from 60 in September 2026), 350 SAR + VAT, and it must exist before the goods arrive.
The mistake that costs the most
Treating SABER as step one. For electronics it is step three or four: the platform can only issue a PCoC once the prerequisites exist, so an account opened on day one simply waits while CST and IECEE run. Map the prerequisite stack at the classification stage and run those tracks in parallel.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a SABER certificate cost?
SABER platform fees are 500 SAR + VAT for the PCoC and 350 SAR + VAT for each SCoC. Registration on SABER is officially free; the Certification Body’s fee and any testing are separate.
How long is a SABER certificate valid?
The PCoC is valid for one year, per product model and importer. The SCoC is valid for 90 days (SASO, 15 September 2026; extended from 60) and covers one shipment.
Can a foreign exporter get a SABER certificate?
Not directly. Only a Saudi entity can hold an importer account on SABER; foreign exporters work through a Saudi importer or importer-of-record.
Check three facts in the free sample
The free sample is one English PDF and one Arabic PDF: the prerequisite stack, PCoC basics and 3 of the 7 customs traps — enough to verify this page against saber.sa yourself.
Saber Desk is an independent reference — not a certification body, and not affiliated with SASO. We do not issue certificates. Fees and processing times are the official figures published on saber.sa unless marked as observed practice; confirm HS codes and required standards for a specific shipment with your Certification Body. Edition: October 2026.